May Newsletter

Dear Poets and Friends of Poetry,
Local Poets Guild has quite a few events forthcoming in May and Early June and a number of opportunities to announce. First, remember to keep checking our website for updates and opportunities. On the website you’ll also notice an ever-growing roster of poets, as well as a new audio archive curated by Rich Boucher.

LAND IS Retreat had our second successful poet-in-residence and we are now accepting applications for May, June, July and August. We hope to accommodate poets looking for a writing retreat lasting anywhere from 4 days to a month. For information on how to apply, and to see pictures of the retreat, see https://localpoetsguild.wordpress.com/writers-residency/ We want to encourage people to take advantage of this opportunity for sustained work in solitude amid a beautiful rural setting.

ONGOING MONDAYS—“East of Edith” successfully launched in April. This is our new weekly open mic that takes place every Monday night at 7:00pm at the Projects, a warehouse theater located at 3614 High Street NE, which is East of Edith and just North of Candelaria. Starting next week, I’ll also be bringing snacks. We have had as many as eleven sharp readers per event, and each event has offered a great slice of community voices. Everyone welcome. Come join us every Monday night at 7pm.

MAY 15th—P(EAR): Poetics and Poems continues for its second month in a row with craft and aesthetics talks given by Gary Jackson, winner of the Cave Canem Prize whose book Missing You, Metropolis intersects with comics culture, and Larry Goodell, local poetry legend known to use song and masks and humor to facilitate his performances. I’m very excited to hear both of these authors talk about what poetry means to them and know their talks will be eye-opening, both for their own work and for the heart of what poetry can be. Sunday May 15 at 3:00pm at Acequia Booksellers 4019-4th ST. NW.

MAY 22nd–Writing To Heal Classes begin this month, with a short presentation I’ll give about the power of writing to heal, followed by writing exercises led by Michelle Otero. The class will take place at 100 Silver Ave SW in the community room for Silver Gardens from 3-6 pm. RSVP your interest to me at localpoetsgu…@yahoo.com as I’ll need to let you into the building due to security. Local Poets Guild is alternating writing to heal classes and nonviolence workshops. Each component supports the other and we encourage you to consider attending both. $5 sugested donation.

MAY 25th–Verso Quatro returns with two out of town poets, Seth Walker of Houston and Joaquin
Zihuatenejo* of Dallas, who will join two locals, Mary Oishi and Jessica
Helen Lopez, who both have new books out with West End Press. The event will be moderated by Richard Vargas. Wednesday May 25th 7:00 pm at the Projects 3614 high Street NE. $5 suggested donation. (*awaiting confirmation)

JUNE 5th–Open Poetry Workshop will resume on Sunday June 5th from 2-5pm. Time will be spent writing and
looking at elements of craft. People are also encouraged to bring 5
copies of a poem to share in critique. Suggested Donation $10.

JUNE 9th–Triptych will take place again in early June. This reading series highlights three poets each time, with in depth features. Next up: Sarah McKinstry Brown, visiting from Nebraska, as well as ABQ poets Sari Krosinsky and Jazzmine Cuffee. All three women are serious forces to be reckoned with, three distinctive and fine voices, each making strides in the literary world. This will happen Thursday June 9th 7:00 pm at the Projects 3614 High Street NE. $5 suggested donation goes to pay for the space.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR A POET’S PAGE:
Write localpoetsguild at yahoo dot com and request our simple registration form. Fill it out and return it. We are now actively soliciting poets from both Albuquerque and elsewhere in New Mexico. In June, we’d like to make a push for Santa Fe poets. Let the dialogue flow around the state and let us celebrate each others’ work.

FORTHCOMING:
Local Poets Guild has collaborations in the works with Church of Beethoven, The Roost Creative Music Festival, Globalquerque, ISEA 2012, and more. We are making progress bit by bit and hopefully putting down a solid foundation for
future endeavors. Keep checking the website for opportunities.